[B-Greek] John 11:24

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Thu Oct 28 18:31:07 EDT 2010


On Oct 28, 2010, at 6:15 PM, Mike Burke wrote:
> Would a more acurate translation of John 11:24 be "though he were dead, yet shall he live," or "though he may die, yet shall he live"?

I suspect you mean John 11:25, the clause, ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ κἂν ἀποθάνῃ ζήσεται, [hO PISTEUWN EIS EME KAN APOQANHi ZHSETAI.

"though he were dead ... " = "even if he were dead" -- Are you seriously suggesting that? That's a present counterfactual condition ("even if he were dead (which he is not), ... "

The Greek text is what's called a future more vivid condition. KAN APOQANHi indicates the possitibility that the believer may at some time die; so, it should be something like, "Even if he does die (ever), he will live."


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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